The cover alone lets you know that this cookbook is about celebration: its vibrant hues and punny title portend the vivacious dishes outlined within, the recipes from a small but mighty restaurant in Hudson, NY called Lil’ Deb’s Oasis. (The restaurant has – sadly – closed, but thank your lucky stars that the recipes are forever enshrined and accessible for your own table.) The foreword of the book, written by musician Meshell Ndegeocello, is lyrical, and in it Ndegeocello reminds us that “food is a portal to pleasure”.
Every page of this cookbook is an invitation to sit down and dine: like, really dig in, get your hands dirty, and let the sauces drip down your chin. Seriously, I want to sit down, flip through this book with you, select our favorites from the crudo, the ceviche, the fried plantains, and the unctuous main courses, and then cook it all up. I want to gather around a table, serve these dishes family style, and chat with you over a meal that does more than make us full. I want to revel in the community that we’ve got, folks. And this book is the perfect invitation for all of that. Down. To. The. Very. Last. Bite.
We’ve tried the Celery Caesar Salad, and it has since been the dish we’ve taken to two family meals. It’s crunchy and tart, and the capers give it a briny finish. Seriously delicious. We’ve also made Abuela’s Aromatic Rice and Spiced Lentils. The rice is now the only way we cook basmati, and the lentils are a perfect (though slightly bitter – we’re going to reduce the amount of cumin and coriander seeds next time) compliment to the semi-sweet rice.
This review first appeared in the December 2024 print edition of Out in Wichita. Click here to see the review in print.
shelly. walston. writes. 